How much sleep do kids need?
BABIES and children in general require a lot of sleep, significantly more than the recommended eight hours for adults, since at this stage sufficient sleep is necessary to support their rapid mental and physical development. But while many parents are aware of this need, they have no idea of how much sleep is required at each stage of growth.
“Sleep is an important part of healthy living as sleep is essential for all areas of health — physical, emotional and psychological. It also plays a vital role in growth, metabolism, immune function, memory and learning,” said Dr Anona Griffith, paediatrician at Gateway Plaza, Old Harbour.
She noted that inadequate sleep or sleep deprivation, which is generally addictive and happens over time, could manifest as poor learning and school performance, mood swings, anger, impulsive behaviour, poor attention span, and loss of judgement.
“Some physical manifestations of lack of sleep include increased risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, depression and obesity, and of course interference with the normal development of the child overall; so we want to make sure at this stage — childhood — when they are so fragile, that we do everything to encourage instead of hinder their development,” Dr Griffith advised.
She said that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has formulated recommendations as to the amount of sleep required for optimal health in children and adolescents based on numerous studies and research.
She said that the 2016 recommendations as revised and endorsed by the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) are as follows:
• Four to 12 months require 12 to 16 hours each day
• One to two years require 11 to 14 hours each day
• Three to five years require 10 to 13 hours each day
• Six to 12 years require nine to 12 hours each day
• Thirteen to 18 years require eight to 10 hours each day.
She noted, however, that sometimes this can be difficult, especially since the number of distractions have increased. She has listed some sleep stealers that parents will need to address:
LACK OF ROUTINE
“Bedtimes should be scheduled and enforced routinely, preferably daily. Sleep training should start from infancy — ideally before six months,” Dr Griffith said. She stressed the importance of sticking to these schedules during vacations. While an occasional request for staying up late may be granted, she said, a time for going to bed should be agreed upon.
TECHNOLOGY
“The presence of televisions or other pieces of technology in children’s rooms can be distracting, and children may try to use or peek at these devices even after bedtime, so it is recommended that all devices including cellphones and tablets be shut down 30 minutes prior to bedtime,” Dr Griffith said.
She noted that for infants younger than 18 months, some experts suggest that there should be no screen time. This suggestion is against the background that at this age infants are learning actively, and human interaction facilitates a more wholesome learning experience.
TOO MANY ACTIVITIES
Nowadays, even children are too busy to sleep. “Packed extracurricular schedules can rob a child of important sleep time, and while parents want their children to be exposed to many activities, these added stressors also increase the need for more sleep,” Dr Griffith said. She warned against this, noting that these are becoming one of the most common stressors for children.
FAMILY INSTABILITY/ABUSE
Dr Griffith said that adequate sleep should be given priority. She noted that it should be considered as highly as any other developmental demand because it is crucial to the optimal health of children.
“Where there are challenges with achieving a scheduled bedtime or maintaining one, the AAP has encouraged a programme, ‘brush, book, bed’ as a guide for bedtime routine. It has been very helpful,” Dr Griffith advised.
